Surrey Writers Festival – Competition
CALL FOR ENTRIES: Literature & Languages & Paper Moon Bookshop Writing Competitions 2026
Theme: The Perfect Crime Forms: Poetry and Short fiction
Competition Deadline: 23:59 on Sunday 29 March 2026
Festival: Friday 24 April 2026 (17:00 – 21:00) @ University of Surrey
The School of Literature and Languages at the University of Surrey, in partnership with Paper Moon Bookshop, invites submissions for the inaugural 2026 Youth Prize (ages 16-18) and Undergraduate Writing Prize (open to all departments in the University of Surrey).
The 2026 theme- The Perfect Crime- invites writers to explore mystery, mischief, and the idea of what constitutes “the perfect crime” in playful, innovative and unexpected ways. Whether you’re a budding writer who loves reading crimes and thrillers or entirely new to the genre, we’re looking for creative and original interpretations of the theme. Entries may be submitted in prose or poetry formats, with specific word counts for each category (see rules below).
Entries are open until 23:59 on Sunday 29 March 2026 with prizes awarded at the Surrey Writers Festival on Friday 24 April 2026 at the University of Surrey.
Prizes
Each competition will award:
- Three winners in each category
- First prize: Paper Moon £50 book voucher/subscription + £50 National Book Token gift card
- Second prize: Paper Moon £30 book voucher/subscription + £30 National Book Token gift card
- Third prize: Paper Moon £20 book voucher/subscription + £20 National Book Token gift card
Honourable mentions and commendations may also be awarded at the judges’ discretion.
Rules & Eligibility
- Youth Prize (Ages 16–18)
- Open to students aged 16–18 from schools and colleges. See entry limits below.
- Undergraduate Prize
- Open to all current undergraduate students at the University of Surrey, across all disciplines
Theme: The Perfect Crime
Forms accepted:
- Poetry
- Prose (flash fiction / short narrative)
To keep judging manageable (and because there is no entry fee this year):
Each writer may submit up to two entries in total
- e.g. one poem + one prose piece, or
-
- two poems, or
- two prose pieces
Schools are asked not to submit whole cohorts.
Youth Prize (16–18)
- Poetry: Up to 25 lines
- Prose: Up to 800 words
Undergraduate Prize
- Poetry: Up to 50 lines
- Prose: Up to 1500 words
Word/line counts will be strictly enforced.
- Entries must be original, unpublished, and anonymous (no identifying names in documents or file names).
- The use of generative AI is strictly prohibited; it must be the entrant’s original and solely authored work.
- Submit via online portal (files cannot be uploaded).
- Writers may enter prose, poetry, or both, within the two-entry limit.
Youth Prize
- Judged by panel consisting of academic staff and members of the Widening Participation & Success Team.
- Initial filtering by academic staff and Paper Moon if needed.
Undergraduate Prize
- Judged by Jack and Hannah at Paper Moon Bookshop, and Literature & Languages staff.
- To streamline the process and respect workloads, lead judge: Sharlene Teo with colleagues joining as capacity allows.
- Judging is expected to be manageable and the submission deadline may close early if in the event of entries surpasses capacity.
Judging is anonymous. Decisions are final.
Submissions close: 23:59 on Sunday 29 March 2026
- Winners announced at the Surrey Writers Festival (24 April 2026).
- Winners will be invited to attend the prizegiving ceremony on the University of Surrey campus. Attendance is optional.
- Youth Prize winners (aged 16–18) must attend with a parent, legal guardian, or approved responsible adult.
Further details, including travel arrangements and consent requirements, will be provided to shortlisted winners.
By entering the competition, entrants confirm that they have read and understood these rules.
Terms & Conditions
Youth Prize winners (aged 16–18) may be invited to attend the prizegiving ceremony at the Surrey Writers Festival on the University of Surrey campus.
Attendance is optional. Prizes may be awarded in absentia where attendance is not possible.
Any attendee under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a nominated responsible adult approved in advance by the organiser. Responsibility for the young person remains with the parent/guardian or nominated adult at all times during the visit.
University of Surrey staff, festival staff, judges, and volunteers are not responsible for supervising under-18s and will not provide one-to-one supervision.
Written parental/guardian consent will be required in advance for:
- attendance on campus,
- participation in the prizegiving event,
- emergency contact details, and
- photography or filming (where applicable).
Under-18s must arrive and depart with their accompanying adult. Informal handovers to staff or volunteers will not be permitted.
Photography or filming may take place during the event for publicity and reporting purposes. Under-18s will only be photographed where prior parental/guardian consent has been provided.
Any safeguarding concerns arising during the event will be handled in line with the University of Surrey’s safeguarding policies. A named safeguarding contact will be available on the day.
Submit an entry
To enter the competition, please submit your entry via our online submission form. Please contact us should you have any questions about the competition or your entry.